Christmas Miracle
by Nightstalcer
Summary: Tony is getting hurt, what else is new? Gibbs begs to differ. Just a kinda fluffy piece for christmas. Mentions older cases.


A little christmas present to all of you NCIS-Fans.

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„Merry Christmas, Anthony.", he wished himself rather ironically as he was currently occupied with trying to stay upright instead of falling into the snow. Being pistol-whipped made thia task a little more difficult then normal.

"Shut up and get over here!", some angry voice shouted, did he mention that he was whipped with his own Sig Sauer? That sucked even more and while he was really tempted to suckerpunch the life out of this guy, he was also held at gun point so any bold moves were out of the question.

"Alright Buddy, let's not rush anything here.", he held his hands over his head and tried not be threaten him with his body language.

"You could still give up, saves my boss a few bullets and much less paperwork and the boss hates paperwork...", Tony tried but the man which he had tried to apprehend for fraud and questioning didn't listen to his ramble.

"Once more, shut up or I'll shoot you."

"Would mean even more paperwork.", Tony couldn't resist but there was a hint of sadness in that statement. He felt it would be really just that, too much paperwork because he was too damn stupid to do his job anymore. Sure, Abby would be sad, would cry and maybe McSoftie would comfort her like on older brother would. Gibbs... well he hated change but McGee would make a hell of an senior field agent.

Thankfully, the fraud guy (he really should ask his name) didn't go through but angrily grabbed the Sig tighter.

"How does anyone stand you?", he had to ask as it seemed this agent would not take him seriously. That had to be dangerous to his team.

"They love me. What's your name, I get confused in my head just calling you fraud guy but since now I should call you held-hostages-guy instead so..."

"Shut the Fuck up!", the other man screamed and Tony gulped. It seemed he irritated him enough.

Shaking with anger fraud guy gripped the weapon really tight and swayed around. This was all Tony needed.

He charged forward in a smooth movement, kicked out the legs of his target and easily overpowered him to snatch his weapon.

"Like I said... the other way would just mean more paperwork and it is Christmas Eve you realize, so the boss gets to be home early and McGee can fly to Delilah and Bishop has Jake and..." he stopped.

The fraud guy sighed. "Call me Murphy." he admitted defeat. When he at first surprised the agent and got a hold of his gun he thanked the heavens that such an inexperienced guy was there to book him. But he clearly underestimated the guy, as he had pistol-whipped him really hard and before kicked him in his knees from behind. It would have bought any men down and let him stay there but this guy just gets up and has nothing more to do than rambling how much more paperwork it is when he isn't a good guy. Seriously, does this guy has no limits? He had held him at gun point, that should count for something.

When Tony had handcuffed Murphy and put him into the back seat of the agency's sedan he got into the drivers seat and slumped into it. He sighed deeply and turned on the ignition.

Murphy, having realized that there was no way of escaping got a good look from behind at Tony.

"Hey, mind to tell me why you were no afraid? I had a gun ya know. Your gun.", he couldn't resist to ask.

"Ah, I guess there would be a movie where exactly the same happened but as no one is interested in that anyway, I can tell you the truth. Na, wasn't afraid. You surprised me, I give you that but you wouldn't have gotten away from my boss. He is like a blood-hound and he would have found you either way.", he told him with such faith in his voice so Murphy immediately knew two things. His boss was very important to the agent and second, he was thankful that he wasn't caught by him. Still, there was something missing in this answer.

"Ya know that I could have shot you?", this guy was unbelievable.

Tony just smiled.

"Like I said, he would have caught you anyway, you didn't use gloves so you left your prints." Murphy was flabbergasted. If he understood correctly, this guy didn't care about his life, but just about solving the case.

"Are ya nuts, man? Doesn't life matter to you at all?"

"Oh it does. But solving the case has to utmost priority to the team and you didn't shoot me so what's the point?", Tony answered and turned left towards the main road. It wouldn't take long to get to the navy yard.

"Well you must be a hell of an agent that your team let's you go alone if you value ya life so little. What's ya boss say? I was in college sports once, always had to act as a team or the couch kicked you out faster than you could say quarterback."

Now Tony laughed.

"That's good Murphy, really. There was no agent to spare to come with as it is the holidays you probably realized. That's why I came alone. I'm not that good actually, we had this Mossad assassin once in our team and she can kill with a paper clip. Or Kate, she used to protect the President, or McGee... well McGee would never be surprised playing Counter Strike, so I guess that counts for something. I'm just a street cop and former athlete. And Gibbs, my boss, we won't even go there. Former Marine with the snipers, can't get near him unless he knows. And he always knows, it's kinda creepy actually...", his driver rambled on and on off his team but Murphy quickly saw that he didn't acknowledged his own strengths.

The drive to the navy yard was over sooner than both realized. Tony got out of the car and lended his suspect a hand.

"Get him to interrogation, Gibbs is already waiting for him.", he ordered to the agents awaiting him. None of them were part of the team.

"McGee and Bishop must be already home I guess...", Tony mused and swayed slightly. He got into the elevator and leaned against the wall. The day was too long for him and his head throbbed where his Sig had connected to his temple. Thankfully, it wasn't a concussion. Still, he felt feverish and his vision had black spots appear. He reached into his jacked and hissed. Maybe he should go to autopsy instead...

Without knowing it Tony has slumped down onto the ground of the moving cabin and panted quietly.

The elevator door opened to reveal Bishop who was clearly ready to go home. He must've pressed the wrong button then silly old me..., Tony thought and was interrupted by a screech.

"Tony!", Ellie shouted, followed by "Gibbs!" The latter one hurried over, taking in the sight of his senior field agent.

"He's bleeding...", Ellie reported, investigator in her taking over. Gibbs bent down and looked Tony in his eye.

"What happened, Dinozzo?", McGee already was on the phone with Ducky and 911 so he had time to assess his agent himself.

"Suspect is in interrogation Boss and waiting for you.", Tony just reported and Gibbs gut churned. That wasn't a good sign. He resisted the urge to head slap Tony for being stupid.

"I meant what is wrong with you, Dinozzo?" he forced himself to not let his anger show about the neglect Tony was treating his own life with once again. He seriously thought he was over that after fourteen years of working together.

Tony looked up to his boss, puzzled.

"Well he kinda surprised me, kicked my in the bad knee and for a while had my weapon. But I cleaned up my own mess, wouldn't have you have more paperwork than necessary, boss."

"And telling me about getting shot, when would you have done that?", Gibbs digged deeper. His frown was evident in his face and he couldn't decide whether he was worried or angry with Dinozzo.

"Oh that.", Dinozzo coughed and hissed through his teeth as pain arrived in his brain at the same time.

"No Biggie, it's a through and through and it wasn't Murphy. Was just unlucky enough to arrive to a rival gang meeting gone bad.", Tony told him honestly with no indication that it was anything out of the ordinary.

Gibbs blanched. He took Dinozzos hand in his and sighed.

"When will you stop doing this to me. You aren't invincible, there will be the day when there is no way to help you after getting shot.", Tonys eyes went big.

"What do you mean boss? I screwed up, big deal. Won't happen again."

"And know you want to apologize?" Gibbs couldn't believe it. When had he let this get so out of hand?

"I know boss, you don't like it, being rule six and such but I feel I have to. Ruined your Christmas.", Tony whispered as it became difficult to speak.

"Where is the damn EMT? And Ducky?", Gibbs barked at McGee.

"They should arrive any minute Boss, there is a lot of snow outside on the streets, Ducky hasn't been in so he cannot come here I'm afraid.", McGee reported dutifully and tried not to look at Tony. A few hours before he had refused to accompany Tony to what was believed to be only witness-questioning. Only Tony would manage to get hurt then.

"Tony, listen to me. Ambulance is on it's way and you're getting checked out. No discussion. Ellie is going to check out your gunshotwound, let her.", ever the commanding Gibbs. Tony didn't need to know that he more than wanted to hit somebody, preferably the shooter of him. And he needed to talk to Tony and soon. There were alarming tendencies hinted at and he didn't like them one bit. He knew his senior field agent tended to take responsibility for nearly everything that happened in the universe and he also knew that sometimes he tried to blame him for things that happened. Like Jenny's death but that was all bridge under the water now.

"Alright...", Tony admitted defeat and let his teammate tend to his wound.

Few hours later, Tony was safe and sound on Gibbs couch. The hospital treated his wound and it being the holidays and Tony threatening to sign out AMA anyway Gibbs took him in instead and promised to take care of him.

"Boss, you don't have to. I bet you had plans and even if it just building stuff in your basement with bourbon as you company, they were plans." Tony tried to protest but Gibbs wouldn't budge.

"Doesn't matter Tony. Wood's still here tomorrow, bourbon too. You may not."

At this statement, Tony paled.

"You wanna fire me Gibbs?", he asked quietly. Surely he screwed up but firing him was too much as a punishment was it? Before Gibbs could answer Tony already accepted the verdict at face value. His dad never took anything back and when he mentioned Tony not being there the next day it meant summer camp or a weekend with a nanny once again.

"Hell no. Can be lucky to keep you as you will get a commendation for more than just your duty."

"It was nothing, just did my job. Murphy was just trying to get off the hook, was no real biggie." he wanted to hear from Gibbs that everything was normal, that he screwed up once again and that he was forgiven. With such praise, he had idea what to do.

"Tony, you apprehended an armed suspect while bleeding out from a gunshotwound to the side, you did good. You earned it, you did good."

"Rule five...", Tony whispered. Gibbs nodded.

"Still applies today."

"Then why did you let me go without backup?", Tony wanted to know all of a sudden.

"They said you had taken another agent from a different team with you.", Gibbs said irritated.

"Rule eight.", Tony just recited.

"Never assume?" Gibbs wanted to know, his gut telling him that wasn't all.

"Which doesn't seem to work for me Gibbs. Every little thing I can only conclude as logical when I assume it is because I screw up so much times. Like the case with the domestic terrorists at Royal Woods. I screwed up because I was so annoying while getting the voice samples that Ziva couldn't stand it anymore. Turned the volume down.", it pained him to admit to such a failure.

"Or the time when I killed Rivkin. I should have got him in the leg like Ziva suggested. Boy, she was angry but that I understand, losing your boyfriend does that to you. Today reminded me of then, only that she was way more dangerous with her weapon pressed to my chest than the guy today. Nearly lost his grip on my weapon so I cold overpower him easily."

Gibbs face was as white as a sheet. How come he never heard of this?

"Did they really turn it off, Tony?", he needed to know. Tony shrugged.

"Don't know, I guess it was just a bad joke. Like the one you played me with the dumbell in my backpack.". Gibbs had the decency to look ashamed.

"Didn't think that you were injured.", he said, his tone as apologetic as possible.

"And Ziva? Was that in Israel?", he wanted to know. God, he knew he made the right choice. Tony couldn't have taken his rejection on top of everything else.

"Too long Gibbs. Forgave her for it anyway.", his senior field agent clearly was uncomfortable to talk about this.

He patted him onto his back and got up to get some coffee for both of them.

"I know it isn't much but Tony, you have to know that you are important for the team, and me. I broke my own rules, I assumed that you knew how much you mean to all of us but I suppose sometimes we all are uncomfortable with saying it. Your father told me I did a better job at parenting you than he did, not that that was much trouble, anyone would have done better than him but he saw that you are more to me than just an agent."

Tony swallowed, this was really overwhelming.

"And while it is true that mostly you learn to respect what you have when you don't have it anymore I don't want to bury you just to realize that. We lost a team member with Ziva and one with Kate and we won't lose you just because you think you don't deserve our help. And I will tell McGee that he can go back to cyber crimes in an instant if he pulls something like that radio stuff again. And when you are good at something, don't be afraid to show the others that you are. There was too much competition taking place in our team the previous years, I get that now and hopefully with Bishop it will be more of a team than loners fighting against each other."

Tony smiled slightly, he must be more concussed that he thought. Or maybe he was in heaven, he didn't care.

The clock on Gibbs cupboard chimes twelve times.

"Well I suppose there is a Christmas miracle this year..."

He laughed loudly and Gibbs joined him.

"Dinozzo, next year I won't be able to talk much, have used my quote for that up today. And it was worth it. Merry Christmas. Tony." he said sipping his coffee.

"Merry X-mas, too, Boss."

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A few hundred thousand miles away somebody sighed contently and scratched a new off his list. A few remained.

"This year I finally grant your wish Anthony Dinozzo, Junior.", an old man with a long white beard said and looked upon a small letter with just a short sentence on it.

"_Dear Santa, I just wish that I have a real dad someday." _

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Hope you liked it. Any mistakes on me.


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